Coach Jeon Hee-cheol's affection for the youngest player, Eddie Daniel: "His performance with the national team was good, but... he needs to develop further"

*This content was translated by AI.

Eddie Daniel (19, SeoulSK), the top-tier rookie who returned home in triumph after winning a gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, has begun full-scale preparations for the upcoming new season following his return to his club team. His mentor, Coach Jeon Hee-cheol, offered both affectionate criticism and praise, encouraging his prized pupil's growth.

The KBL held the 2026-2027 KBL Opening Media Day on the afternoon of the 29th at the Woori WON Banking Hall in Blue Square, Seoul Yongsan-gu. Prior to the event, Coach Jeon Hee-cheol, Daniel, and An Young-jun met with reporters to share behind-the-scenes stories from the Asian Games and their candid thoughts ahead of the season opener.

Daniel, who competed as the youngest member of the national team, proved his undeniable presence at this tournament through his characteristic high activity level. Although his playing time decreased somewhat as the competition progressed into the tournament stage, he injected intense energy from the bench, averaging around 10 minutes per game through the quarterfinals while showcasing solid defense and sharp transition abilities. In particular, he left a deep impression by recording 5 points and 4 rebounds in the group stage matchup against Japan, which was held as a Korea-Japan clash.

Daniel, who won the Star Award in the basketball category of the 2024 Futures Star Awards and the Grand Prize in 2025 before entering the professional league last year, solidified his position within the team under Coach Jeon Hee-cheol's training to make it onto the Seong In (CEO)team, and secured a military service exemption benefit by winning the gold medal at this Asian Games.

Daniel, who returned with a gold medal around his neck, calmly stated, "I have been running non-stop during the off-season, but I do not feel significantly tired in terms of condition or physical stamina." He added, "Whether it is the national team or my club team, once I step onto the court, I only think about doing my absolute best. It seems everyone has viewed that attitude favorably. Right now, the most important thing is to quickly readjust to the team."

He continued, "The basketball national team achieved a good result this time, which has greatly increased interest in basketball in South Korea. When attention is focused on us, we must show fans an even better performance on the court," demonstrating a mature attitude.

His mentor, Coach Jeon Hee-cheol's gaze was realistic and cool-headed, yet filled with affection. Regarding Daniel's performance with the national team, Coach Jeon began by saying, "He needs to stay sharp." He then stated candidly, "Honestly, there were many role restrictions. I only utilized his strengths, such as his activity level, energy level, defense, and transition handling. However, in the professional league, Eddie is a player who must grow into a No. 2 or No. 3 position, not a big man. Personally, I feel disappointed regarding the opportunity to elevate his outside shooting and technical skills by one level." Nevertheless, he added, "There are certainly significant areas where he has grown by learning on his own about movement patterns and timing while training and coordinating with his senior teammates."

The ball was in the player's own court regarding playing opportunities. Coach Jeon said, "The fact that he could be included in the roster and play games at such a young age is purely because he performed well," adding, "SK deploys players based solely on skill level and coaching staff meetings. It is something he proved through his own efforts," giving him a thumbs up. In response, Daniel also expressed gratitude, saying, "I was able to grow because Coach gave me opportunities and accurately told me what I should do even when I made many mistakes."

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*This content was translated by AI.